Autonomous propulsion apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9481471-B2
Application number	US-201314076797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2013
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

Autonomous propulsion apparatus and methods are disclosed. An example autonomous propulsion unit includes a flight controller capable of executing flight control instructions stored in a memory of the autonomous propulsion unit; and a propulsor to generate propulsion in accordance with the instructions for a payload carrier to which the autonomous propulsion unit is coupled, wherein the flight controller is to provide flight control for the propulsor in an absence of flight control instructions from the payload carrier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous propulsion apparatus comprising:
a central body; and
a plurality of propulsion units removably attachable to the central body to configure the autonomous propulsion apparatus as a first aircraft or a second aircraft different than the first aircraft, each propulsion unit having an aerodynamic member and a propulsor, the aerodynamic member to attach the propulsor to the central body, the propulsor to move between a first position to generate lift to enable the apparatus to hover and a second position to generate thrust to enable forward flight of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft includes two propulsion units and the second aircraft includes at least three propulsion units.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further including:
a flight controller to determine a number of propulsors attached to the central body, select a flight control instruction from a plurality of flight control instructions stored in a memory of the apparatus based on the determined number of propulsors, and execute the selected the flight control instruction, and
the propulsors to generate propulsion in accordance with the selected flight control instruction, wherein the flight controller is to provide flight control for the propulsors in an absence of flight control instructions from the central body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the memory includes a first flight control program corresponding to a first plurality of propulsion units defining the first aircraft and a second flight control program corresponding to a second plurality of propulsion units defining the second aircraft different than the first aircraft.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising an adjustable aerodynamic surface, wherein the flight controller is capable of providing flight control for the aerodynamic surface in an absence of flight control instructions from the central body.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising an internal housing to carry an energy source, wherein the flight controller is to control use of the energy source by the propulsors in an absence of flight control instructions from the central body.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each propulsor includes a tilt mechanism to enable the propulsor to be positioned at different angles relative to the central body, wherein the flight controller is to control the tilt mechanism in an absence of flight control instructions from the central body.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion units remain attached to the central body during an entire flight mission of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion units are attachable to the apparatus prior to, or after, a flight mission of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic member includes a rigid aerodynamic member and an adjustable aerodynamic member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the propulsor is spaced from the central body by a distance provided by the aerodynamic member.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the propulsor is to tilt relative to the aerodynamic member between the first position and the second position via a tilt shaft.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the tilt shaft is coupled to the propulsor, the tilt shaft extending between a first end and a second end of the aerodynamic member such that a longitudinal axis of the tilt shaft is substantially parallel relative to a longitudinal axis of the aerodynamic member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further including a first bearing adjacent the first end of the aerodynamic member and a second bearing adjacent the second end of the aerodynamic to enable rotation of the tilt shaft relative to the aerodynamic member.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , further including a landing gear coupled to the aerodynamic member.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft is a dual-tail sitter and the second aircraft is a tri-tail sitter.

17. An aircraft, comprising:
a main body;
a first wing having a first end and a second end, the first wing being removably coupled to the main body via the first end of the first wing;
a first propulsion unit coupled to the second end of the first wing, the first wing to mount the first propulsion unit to the main body when the first end of the wing is coupled to the main body, the first propulsion unit including a first flight controller;
a second wing having a third end and a fourth end, the second wing being removably coupled to the main body via the third end of the second wing; and
a second propulsion unit coupled to the fourth end of the second wing, the second wing to mount the second propulsion unit to the main body when the second wing is coupled to the main body, the second propulsion unit including a second flight controller, the first flight controller to communicate with the second flight controller to provide flight capabilities to the main body without receiving a flight control instruction from the main body.

18. An aircraft as defined in claim 17 , wherein the main body does not include a flight control processing system.

19. An aircraft as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first flight controller is designated as a master device and the second flight controller is designated as a slave device.

20. An aircraft as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first and second propulsion units are sole sources of propulsion for the aircraft.

21. An aircraft as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first and second propulsion units are tiltable duct fans.

22. An aircraft as defined in claim 17 , wherein the aircraft is removably coupled to a second aircraft such that the aircraft can be removed from the second aircraft mid-flight.

23. An aircraft as defined in claim 22 , wherein the second aircraft includes a native flight controller.

24. The aircraft of claim 17 , wherein the first propulsion unit and the second propulsion unit are to remain attached to the main body during an entire flight mission of the aircraft.

25. An autonomous propulsion apparatus comprising:
a body to which a first propulsion unit and a second propulsion unit are coupled and non-detachable in-flight, the first propulsion unit to include a first energy source to enable the first propulsion unit to be energy self-sufficient, the second propulsion unit to include a second energy source to enable the second propulsion unit to be energy self-sufficient.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first propulsion unit includes a first propulsor independently rotatably coupled to the body to enable a thrust angle of the first propulsor to change relative to the body, the second propulsion unit including a second propulsor unit independently rotatably coupled to the body to enable a thrust angle of the second propulsor to change relative to the body.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising an aircraft, wherein the autonomous propulsion apparatus is to removably attach to the aircraft to supplement a thrust output of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Newman Daniel

Classifications

• B64D31/18

  for hybrid-electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D31/00

  Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft · CPC title

• F02K3/00 Primary

  Plants including a gas turbine driving a compressor or a ducted fan · CPC title

• B64C11/001

  Shrouded propellers · CPC title

• B64D31/06 Primary

  actuated automatically · CPC title